Cost of setting up a cafe in Dublin

DebDynamite

Hi all

My partner is thinking of setting up a cafe in Dublin.

Just wondering if anyone would have any idea of the cost of kitting out a premises including a basic kitchen?

Also advice from anyone who has experience in doing this would also be welcome.

Thanks in advance.

markymark21

DebDynamite wrote: »

Hi all

My partner is thinking of setting up a cafe in Dublin.

Just wondering if anyone would have any idea of the cost of kitting out a premises including a basic kitchen?

Also advice from anyone who has experience in doing this would also be welcome.

Thanks in advance.

Would you not look at leasing out properties which have most of the equipment all ready kitted out? You'd save yourself alot of money and hassle - especially if you have never ran a catering operation before.

I know you've probably looked at all this but with the hospitality industry suffering at the moment there are lots of good deals to be had in terms renting an existing property.

http://www.daft.ie/searchcommercial.daft?id=87322
http://www.daft.ie/searchcommercial.daft?id=85199
http://www.daft.ie/searchcommercial.daft?id=79781

To put it into perspective the coffee machine we use in work cost €7000. The blender €1500, dish washer €3000 If you are putting in things like a commercial oven, gas grills, refrigerators etc you'll need proper ventilation all of this will see you run towards the 50K mark and beyond

DebDynamite

Thanks MarkyMark, it's cetainly something to think about

MyPerfectCousin

markymark21 wrote: »

To put it into perspective the coffee machine we use in work cost €7000. The blender €1500, dish washer €3000

You can get new, high quality commercial machines for much less than those prices (coffee machine less than half). But you'll still need around 50K in total :-)

markymark21

MyPerfectCousin wrote: »

markymark21 wrote: »

To put it into perspective the coffee machine we use in work cost €7000. The blender €1500, dish washer €3000

You can get new, high quality commercial machines for much less than those prices (coffee machine less than half). But you'll still need around 50K in total :-)

That's true. Our machine in work is very much a high end model. It's one of those bean to cup coffee machines, makes fantasic coffee and your not arseing around with grinders and handles etc

I meant to say to the original poster check out donedeal.ie. You can pick up some great deals in terms of second hand catering equipment - especially coffee machines

Also keep an eye on restaurants and cafes which are closing down. Alot of these places will try and flog off their equipment in order to raise much needed money as the banks are putting them under pressure. Their loss is your gain

Mr.Boots

markymark21 wrote: »

That's true. Our machine in work is very much a high end model. It's one of those bean to cup coffee machines, makes fantasic coffee and your not arseing around with grinders and handles etc

I meant to say to the original poster check out donedeal.ie. You can pick up some great deals in terms of second hand catering equipment - especially coffee machines

Also keep an eye on restaurants and cafes which are closing down. Alot of these places will try and flog off their equipment in order to raise much needed money as the banks are putting them under pressure. Their loss is your gain

Bean 2 cup =Crap coffee

If your business is a cafe then provide good coffee.
I would recomend renting a machine with a service contract included.
Also plenty of equipment for sale at the moment....cash is king here.
Try and get somewhere that was a cafe and save yourself a frotune on change of use, fire cert, toilets, extraction etc.
good luck

Axwell

I would question if the simple cafe is enough these days. In Dublin especially there are now a huge amount of coffee houses/cafes where they are run by a proper barista. I see less and less of the conventional coffee shops around and more of these cafes where the same people will come every day for their favourite coffee. I pass and drop into the Bald Barista on Aungier St regularly and its always busy, I'm not even a big coffee drinker. Maybe just something to consider when you are looking at your competitive analysis.

Chet Zar

Axwell wrote: »

I would question if the simple cafe is enough these days. In Dublin especially there are now a huge amount of coffee houses/cafes where they are run by a proper barista. I see less and less of the conventional coffee shops around and more of these cafes where the same people will come every day for their favourite coffee. I pass and drop into the Bald Barista on Aungier St regularly and its always busy, I'm not even a big coffee drinker. Maybe just something to consider when you are looking at your competitive analysis.

Good point. OP, the ol' Celtic Tiger may be long gone, but the typical bog-standard cafe doesn't really cut it anymore. People have high standards now, they expect a shiny coffee machine and a high standard of coffee. Also I know that I base whether I will go into a cafe on how it looks from outside (and that's as someone with far from extravagant tastes).

Also in Dublin now a lot of the coffee places are stands on the street (e.g. Angel foods, Coffee Angel in the Docklands).

Think outside the box. I was watching An Idiot Abroad last night, where Karl was in a 'cat-friendly' cafe. You could go in, have a coffee, and bring your cat with you! Not saying this is the way you should go, but think about how you can stand out from the dozens of other cafes? Think about the kind of cafe you want to be. Funky decor, some sort of theme (without being clichéd), or include some feature which sets it apart. Even a clever catchy name could work. No limits on what you might think up really.

One idea I had is setting up somewhere where you can rent ad space on the walls to local businesses. Helps them, helps you. People spend time in cafes and this could be great exposure. You'd obviously need to do it in a tasteful subtle way. One way could be to mix in messages and ads from current advertisers and businesses with 'old school' advertising from the 40s/50s on the walls. E.g. Heinz beans adverts melded in with ads for the local printers above the counter.

MyPerfectCousin

Agreed that a cafe, even if it isn't a "coffeehouse", should have a proper espresso machine and a good quality coffee that is different from its nearest competitors. You can get a new two-group Gaggia for about 3500 ex VAT. If you ARE going to be a "coffeehouse", definitely get this one piece of equipment new, with service plan and guarantee etc., since this will be your most important piece of kit.

antoinolachtnai

It really depends on the type of business. If you are a barista-owner-operator, sure, fair enough. Some coffee businesses have to deliver a lot of coffee in a very short time, so the old-style Gaggia setup may not be the one for you. You also need more training for this type of machine, to cover all your shifts. Bean-to-cup machines are not so bad.

The important thing to remember is that there is a lot more to a cafe than the coffee. The coffee may not even be that important a starting point. It all depends.

Trojan

Chet Zar wrote: »

I know that I base whether I will go into a cafe on how it looks from outside

I hope you're not denying yourself 3FE coffee because of that.

Chet Zar

Trojan wrote: »

I hope you're not denying yourself 3FE coffee because of that.

Ha had not idea what 3FE meant until I looked it up! Must try that out - I adore my coffee.

What I had intended to say was 'it's on the main things I look at'. Let's face it, I don't have extravagant tastes, but who wants to sit in a greasy spoon - unless it has amazing coffee.

If anyone needs a tip - the best coffee I've ever had is from a simple coffee stall on John Rogerson's Quay - 30 seconds from O2's building right on the river. Amazing.